Hospital stretcher cart



July 1, 1969 w. F. HIRSCH l HOSPITAL STRETCHER CART Sheet of '7 FiledOct. 16. 1967 @Tram/EX JUY i969 w. F. HlRscH HOSPITAL STRETCHER CARTSheet 2 of? Filed Oct. 16, 1967 A INVENTOR. HALTE/Q7 F H/SCH HTTO/UEX my1, 1969 l w. F. HIRSCH sszm HOSPITAL STRETCHER CART Filed oct. 16, 1967sheet 3 of? Law/EMDR. 55 u//QL TER H/RSCH 5MM@ /1/r M ATTO/@UEX SheetINVENTOR. uw; TEA F //pscf/ W. F. HIRSCH HOSPITAL STRETCHER CART HTTONEXmMQlmf July 1, 1969 Filed Oct.

July 1, 1969 w. F. HIRSCH HOSPITAL S'TRET'CHEH CART Filed Oct. 16, 1967July l, 1969 w. F. HIRSCH HOSPITAL STRETCHER CART sheet 7 of? Filed Oct.16, 1967 INVENTOR.

om. H//r F. R nn WY B ,gnam/5X I Int. Cl. A61g 7/10 ILS. Cl. -86 16Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-propelled stretcher cart formoving patients from place to place in a hospital, including a stretchercarriage assembly movable up and down and in and out with respect to awheeled supporting framework and having a stretcher frame removablyattachable to the stretcher carriage assembly for transport in unisontherewith, and further including a exible support webbing removablyattachable within the stretcher frame and adapted to be placed on a bedor table under the patient to enable pickup by moving the stretchercarriage assembly down over the patient in position for attachment to astretcher frame fitted to the support webbing.

This invention relates to mobile stretchers of the type used inhospitals, and is directed particularly to a selfpropelled hospital cartand stretcher combination having mechanical means for coupling with,lifting and transporting a stretcher with a patient thereon from oneplace to another with minimum handling and disturbance of the patient.

In many instances, particularly in the case of serious injury caused byautomobile accidents, it is of utmost importance that the victim behandled and moved as little as possible, at least until the extent ofhis injuries can be determined by X-ray examination and diagnosis in thehospital. It is the principal object of this invention to provide anovel and improved hospital transport cart and stretcher combinationwhereby stretchers carrying patients, after once having been broughtinto the hospital, can readily be interjoined with a stretcher carriageassembly comprising part of the cart mechanism for transport within thehospital and deposit on beds, operating tables, X-ray and treatmenttables, and the like, quickly and with minimal discomfort and physicaldisturbance of the patient.

It is another object of the invention to provide a hospital cart andstretcher combination of the character above described including aplurality of stretcher members of such size and design as enables themto be used routinely on hospital beds under bedridden patients who mustbe moved from time to time for treatment in other parts of the hospital,thereby relieving nurses and hospital attendants of the necessity forphysically lifting and transporting such patients, a procedure of which,heretofore, has not infrequently resulted in back injury.

A more particular object is to provide a motorized hospital cart of thecharacter described including a powerdriven vertically andhorizontally-extensible U-shaped stretcher carriage assembly, arectangular stretcher frame removably attachable with respect to thestretcher carriage assembly for movement in unison therewith, and astretcher webbing member removably attachable to the stretcher frame,whereby the stretcher carriage assembly can be brought down over apatient lying upon a webbing member and attached to a stretcher framepreviously secured to the webbing for lifting and transporting thepatient from one place to another.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hospital cart ofthe character described which will be simple States Patent O inconstruction, easy to operate, and reliable and long wearing in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the self-propelled hospital cart of thepresent invention showing particularly the control panel end and therear end of the cart;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cart showing the control panel endand the front side thereof with its arms in an extended attitude andillustrating a stretcher s-uspended between the arms with a patient inposition thereon;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the controlpanel illustrating a typical control lever;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the hospital cart;

FIG. 5 is fragmentary elevation of the steering wheels end of the cartas viewed from the control panel end and with the control panel and footplatform removed;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of FIG. 5 andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7 7 of FIG. 6and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 8 8 of FIG. 4and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a Vertical sectional View taken along the line 9 9 of FIG. 8and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. l0 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line10-10 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line11-11 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line 12 12 of FIG.11 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal Sectional view taken along the line 13 13 ofFIG. 1l and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 14 14 of FIG. 13and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view illustrating a typicaltoggle clamp means for removably attaching one side of the stretchersheet to the stretcher frame;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 16 16 of FIG. 15and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 16 and illustrating atypical attachment means for the stretcher sheet along the opposite sideof the stretcher frame;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 18 18 of FIG. 4and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 19 19 of FIG.18 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like referencenumerals designate like or similar parts throughout the various views,and referring particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the self-propelledhospital cart of the present invention includes, generally a carriageframe assembly having a front drive wheel assembly 21 at one end and areversible motor and speed reducer 22 in driving connection with thefront wheels 21 by means of pulleys 23 and 24 and a belt 25. At itsother end, the carriage frame assembly 20 includes a steering wheelassembly 26, a control panel 27 and a fold-down platform 28. Avertically-disposed steering rod 29, operably connected to the steeringwheel assembly 26, extends upwardly through the control panel housingand carries a steering handle 30 `fixed to the upper end thereof, asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Generally, the carriage frame assembly 20 has fixed thereto a pair ofvertical, upwardly-extending, telescopic legs 31 and 32 for raising andlowering a U-shaped frame 33 xed to the upper ends of said legs. Adoubly-extendable stretcher carriage assembly 34 is carried by theU-shaped frame 33, said carriage assembly being extensible bothvertically and horizontally as is hereinafter more particularlydescribed, The carriage frame assembly 20 includes front and rear,longitudinally-extending channel members 35 and 36 in parallel spacedrelation and having a plurality of L-shaped braces 37 fixed therebetweenin spaced relation along their length as illustrated fragmentarily inFIG. 18. The drive wheel assembly 21 is carried by the channel members35 and 36 at the forward end thereof, and includes a pair of wheels 38,38 mounted on a drive shaft 39 extending transversely therebetween anddriven by the motor 22 as previously described.

A rectangular frame assembly 40 is xed, as by welding, to the upper,inner ends of square, tubular outer sleeve members 41, 41 comprising thetelescopic legs 31 and 32 as well as to the corresponding distal ends ofa pair of square tubular legs 42 and 43 at the rear side of the cart.Legs 42 and 43 are xed `at their lower, inner end portions to the rearchannel member 36, FIG. 1. The rectangular frame assembly 40 includesparallel longitudinal members 44 and 45 which are joined by a transversemember 46 at the front end and by the housing 47 of the control panel 27at the rear end. A `tiller plate 48 is sized to be snugly receivedwithin the rectangular frame 40, FIG .1, and is fixed therein toinwardly-project ing flanges 49 on the frame members. One or morespaced, transverse braces 50 are xed between the longitudinal members 44and 45 against the underside of the plate 48.

The steering wheel assembly 26 at the rear end of the frame assembly 20is carried by a 'U-shaped bracket 51 which includes a pair of armportions 52-52 bolted as at 53 to the top web of each channel member 35and 36 adjacent their rear ends, (FIGS. 5, 6 and 7). A transverseportion 54 of the U-shaped bracket 51 connects the arm portions 52, 52.Trwo longitudinal, upstanding, stiiening ribs 55, 55 and a transverserib 56 further strengthen the U-shaped bracket 51. Additionally,vertical and horizontal transverse members 57 and 58 respectively arefixed as by welding across the rear ends of the channel members 35 and36. The arms 52, 52 are bolted as at 59 to the member 58.

Pivotal caster wheel units 60 and 61 are bolted to the underside of theU-shaped bracket 51 as at 62, adjacent each side of said bracket, andprovide forwardlyextending portions 63, 63 pivotally connected as at 64and 65 to a tie-rod 66 which, in turn, is centrally pivotally connectedto one end of a link 67. The other end of the link 67 includes a boss 68pinned as at 69 to the lower end of the vertical steering rod 29, whichrod is journalled in a boss 70 centrally of the transverse portion 54and rib 56 of the U-shaped bracket 51. As previously stated, thesteering rod 29 extends vertically upwardly and carries a steeringcontrol handle 30 xed to its upper end.

The fold-down platform 28 includes a pair of brackets 71, 71 fixed toeach end thereof adjacent its outer edges. Each bracket 71 includes apair of offset, parallel arms 72 and 73 joined by a vertical portion 74,as seen in FIG. 7. The offset arms 72 and 73 extend outwardly from thevertical oprtion 74 in opposite directions, the one arm 72 of eachbracket 71 being iixed to the platform 28 and the other arm 73 thereofbeing pivoted as at 7S, to a pair of spaced, upwardly,vertically-extending channels 76 and 77 which comprise the frame for thecontrol panel box 47. As best illustrated in FIGS. l and 2, the platform28 may be folded upwardly to an out-of-the-way position (FIG. 1), ordownwardly to a horizontal position if the operator desires to ridethereon while driving the cart (FIG. 2).

Referring now to FIG. 4, the vertical, upwardly-extending telescopiclegs 31 and 32 are fixed, as by welding, to the front channel member 35;and each leg includes the xed, outer square tubular member 41 and aninner round tubular member 78 sized for telescopic translation thereinby means of an elongated screw 79 axially extending therethrough. A nutI80, fixed by screws 81 in the inner round tubular member 78, ispositioned inwardly of the lower end thereof and is in threadedengagement with the screw 79.

The outer square tubular member 41 is provided with a lower end cap 82,fixed thereto as by welding, and carries a thrust bearing 83 therein toreceive the counterturned lower end of the screw 79. A bevel gear 84,fixed to the screw 79 in bearing engagement against the thrust bearing83, engages a drive bevel gear 85 fixed to a drive shaft indicatedgenerally at 86.

Referring to FIG. 4, the drive shaft 86 is preferably in three parts 87,88 and 89 for installation purposes and includes two coupling elements90 and 91. The center drive shaft section carries a 'worn wheel 92centrally thereof in engagement with a worm gear 93 fixed to the shaft94 of a reversible motor and speed reducer assembly 95, mounted on aplatform 96 fixed to and spanning the frame channels 35 and 36, as seenfragmentarily in FIG. 18. rl`he drive shaft 86 extends longitudinallyalong the front face of the frame channel 35 and is journalled in pillowblocks 97 fixed to said channel.

As seen in FIG. 4, the three section drive shaft 86 and couplingassembly spans the distance between the two telescopic legs 3-1 and 32and carries a bevel gear 85 on each end in driving engagement with thetelescopic leg screws 79 in the manner just described for verticaltranslation of the inner round tubular member 78 relative to the outersquare tubular member 41. It is to be noted that screws 79 have rightand left-hand screw threads, respectively, to effect upward and downwardmovement in unison.

The upper end of each round tubular member 78 carries a rectangularplate 98 fixed, as by welding, thereacross, said plate, in turn, beingfixed, as by welding, to the underside of the U-shaped frame 33. A pairof limit switches 99 and 100 are provided to limit upward and downwardmovement, respectively, of the telescopic legs, switch 99 being fixed toan L-bracket 101 adjacent the upper end of one telescopic leg 31. Theswitch actuator 102 of switch 99 normally bears on the outer surface ot"the inner round tubular leg member 78, in which position the associatedswitch is closed to energize a circuit driving the motor in onedirection, and an opening 103 adjacent the lower end thereof is providedin alignment with the actuator 102 to break electrical contact at theupper limit of travel of the leg member 78. The other limit switch ismounted on the longitudinal frame member 44 yand is engaged by the plate98 at the downward limit position thereof to break electrical contact.

The doubly-extendable carriage assembly 34 is carried by the U-shapedframe 33, which frame is composed of a longitudinal beam assembly 104and two transverse, inverted, U-shaped arms 105, 105 fixed to andextending rearwardly from the distal ends of the longitudinal beamassembly 104. As best illustrated in FIG. 8, the longitudinal beamassembly 104 is composed of two opposed,

generally channel-shaped members 107 and 108 fixed together by aplurality of spaced screws 109 along their lengths, the screws extendingdownwardly through the upper inverted channel along and adjacent bothedges thereof and threadably engaging inwardly-turned abutting flangeportions 110 and 111.

A drive shaft assembly 112 is enclosed within the longitudinal chamberformed in the opposed channel members 107 and 108, said drive shaftassembly being composed of shaft sections 113 and 114 joined by acoupler 115 and journalled in pillow blocks 116 fixed as by bolts 117 tothe bottom wall 118 of channel 108. A reversible motor and speed reducerassembly 119 mounted as at 120 to the inside of the lower channel 108,adjacent one end thereof, is in driving connection with the drive shaftassembly 112 by means of a worm gear 121, fixed to the motor drive shaft122, in driving engagement with the worm wheel 123, fixed to the driveshaft 112.

Each of the ends of the drive shaft assembly 112 carries a bevel gear124 in driving engagement with a bevel gear 125 fixed to one end of ascrew shaft 126 extending axially through each one of the transversearms 105. The screw shaft 126 is retained in position by a thrustbearing assembly 127 fixed in place in the inverted channel 105,immediately adjacent the bevel gear 125, by screws 128.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, each screw shaft 126, oneright-hand and one left-hand, threadably engages a nut 129 fixed as bybolts 130 to the inner face of the bottom wall 131 of a square tubularbearing assembly 132 which is adapted to traverse a transverse arm 105.Each bearing assembly 132 includes upper and lower groups of needlebearings 133 and 134 along the inner faces of its upper and lower walls,respectively, for bearing engagement with the top wall 135 and the twobottom edges 136, 136 of the inverted U-shaped arm 105. The needlebearings are retained in place in appropriate bores 137 by means 0f setscrews 138, 138 at each end thereof. A pair of vertical needle bearings139, 139 along the inner faces of the side walls of each bearingassembly 132 are similarly held in place and engage the outer surface ofthe side Walls 140, 140 of the inverted, U-shaped arm 105. Thus, whenthe motor 119 is energized, the bearing assemblies are caused totraverse the transverse arms 105 by means of the drive shaft, screw andnut assemblies just described.

The doubly-extendable carriage assembly 34 is carried by the bearingassemblies 132 by means of upwardlyextending arms 141 and 142 fixed, asby welding, to said bearing assemblies, said bearing assemblies beingrigidly joined by a longitudinal strut 143. As best seen in FIG. 8, apair of limit switches 144 and 145 in the energization circuit of themotor 119 limit movement in both directions by breaking electricalcontact when contacted by the forward or rear edges, respectively, ofbearing assembly 132.

Spanning the upper ends of the upwardly-extending arms 141 and 142, andfixed thereto, is a longitudinal beam assembly 146. Since thelongitudinal beam assembly 146 is similar in all respects to beamassembly 104, with the exception that it is turned 90 with respectthereto about its longitudinal axis, it will not be described herein indetail. A reversible motor and speed reducer assembly 147 and a driveshaft assembly 148, also similar to the assemblies 112 and 119 inconstruction and mounting, operate a pairof transversely-extendable arms149, 149. It should be noted that the top channel member of the beamassembly 104 and the back channel member of beam assembly 146 arereadily removable by removing the screws 109 for service thereof.

The drive shaft assembly 148 carries a bevel gear 150 fixed to each endthereof in engagement with bevel gears 151 fixed to the ends of screwshafts 152 extending axially through the transversely-extendable arms149, Each arm 149 includes an inner round tubular member 153 having anut 154 fixed in the rear end thereof by screws 155,

said nut threadably engaging the screw shaft 152 for in and outactuation of said tubular member. At its front end, the tubular member153 is fixed, as by set screws 156, to a cap 157 which, in turn, isfixed, as by welding, to one end of an outer square tubular member 158of arm 149. An intermediate round tubular member 159 slidably carriesthe inner and outer tube assembly for in and out translation therealongwhen the screw shaft is actuated by the associated motor and drive shaftassemblies as just described. A thrust bearing assembly 160 is fixed, asby screws 161, in the intermediate tubular member 159 against the bevelgear 151 to hold the screw shaft in place therein. The outer squaretubular members are held against rotation relative to the intermediateround tubular member by the provision of two longitudinal corner bearingstrips 162 and 163, FIG. 14, preferably of nylon or the like, which arefixed along their lengths to the intermediate tubular member bycountersunk screws 164. A pair of limit switches 165 and 166, FIG. 13,are utilized to limit in and out travel of the square tubular members158, by appropriately controlling the energization of the associatedmotor, limit switch 165 limiting inward movement thereof by contact ofswitch actuating arm 167 with the rear edge of said square tube, andswitch 166 providing an actuating arm and roller 168 which drops into adetent 169 at the outer limit of travel of said square tubular member,

A stretcher 170 is suspended between the pair of square tubular members158, 158 and comprises, generally, a rectangular frame 171 havinglongitudinal side rails 172 and 173, transverse end rails 174 and 175,and a webbing 176 suspended therebetween. Each side rail 172 and 173includes an outwardly-facing aperture 177 adjacent each transverse endrail 174 and 175. Referring to FIG. 8, a bracket 178 is fixed, as byscrews 179, to an inside vertical wall 180 of each of the square tubularmembers 149 at the rear end thereof, and provides a rearwardly-extendingarm portion 181 and a downwardly and forwardlyprojecting hook portion182 to engage into an aperture 177 in the longitudinal rails 173. Eachaperture 177 in the front longitudinal rail 172 is engaged by anadjustable hook arm 183 which extends upwardly into a box member 184where is it pivotally journalled on a stub shaft 185 and carries a wormwheel 186 fixed thereto in engagement with a worm gear 187 fixed to avertically-disposed shaft 188, A hand wheel 189 is fixed to the upperoutwardly-extending end of the shaft for manual actuation thereof. Thebox and hook arm assemblies 184, 183 are fixed, as by screws 190, to theinner faces 180 of one each of the square tubular members 149 at theirouter ends.

In operation, the hand wheels 189 will be turned to pivot the hook arm183 outwardly and the stretcher frame will be inserted in place bymanually passing the apertures 177 in the rear rail 173 into engagementwith the hooks 182. The hand wheels 189 will then be manually operatedto swing the hook arms 183 inwardly into engagement with the apertures177 in the front rails 172. As the worm wheel and gear are self-locking,the stretcher frame will be held firmly in place.

The stretcher webbing 176 may be made of any practical strong, flexiblematerial or fabric, and is preferably perforated. It is held in place inthe frame by a plurality of hooks 191 spaced along the rear longitudinalstretcher rail 173 and a like number of similarly spaced toggleactuatedhooks 192 along the front longitudinal stretcher rail 172. The hooks 191are pivotally attached to pins 193 carried in brackets 194 fixed, as bywelding, screws or the like to the rear rail 173, and engage cross pins195 spanning the arms 196 -of a metal yoke 197 fixed, as by rivets 198,to the webbing 176 (see FIG. 17).

The hooks 192 along the front rail 172 are fixed to flexible straps 198by means of metal plates 199 and rivets 200, FIGS. l5 and 16. The otherend of each strap is fixed to a cross pin 201 by means of a metal clampplate 202 and rivets 202a. The cross pin 201 spans the throat of ayoke-shaped latch 203 forwardly of the pivots 204, 204, which operablyattach the latch 203 to upstanding lugs 205, 205 of a bracket 206 fixedto the rail 172 by screws 207. The webbing 176 is put in place in thestretcher frame 171 by manually engaging each pin 195 in a hook 191-along the back rail 173. Each yoke-shaped latch will then be pivotedupwardly about its pivot 204, as indicated by the arrow 208, to engageits hook 192 with a pin 209 spanning the arms 210 of a metal yoke 211attached to the webbing 176, by means of rivets 212, along the frontedge of the webbing. The yoke-shaped toggle latch 203 will then beturned downwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 16 to draw thewebbing 176 taut and lock it firmly in place.

As seen in FIG. 1, the compartment between the frame assembly 20 and therectangular frame 40, in addition to housing the motor and speed reducer95, also provides space for four storage batteries 213 which arepreferably positioned in a line across the back side of the cart toprovide stability thereto when the stretcher frame is extended outwardlyto the front side to pick up a patient from a bed, operating table orthe like or to deposit a patient after transport. As the combined weightof the batteries is in the order of 450 lbs. there is no possibility ofthe weight of a patient, extended from the front side, overbalancing thecart. However, an added safety feature is provided in the form of anextendable stabilizing leg 214, FIGS. 2, 18 and 19. The leg 214 ispositioned between the channel rails 35 and 36 and the floor, andincludes a ball 215 engaged in a recess 216 in the underside thereofadjacent the outer end. The other end of the leg 214 is pivoted, as at217, in a bracket 218 fixed by screws 219 to an upstanding side flange220 of the motor mount platform 96. An arm 221 extending toward the backside from the pivot end of the leg 214 is pivoted, as at 222, to a link223 which extends toward the rear end of the cart and is, in turn,pivoted, as at 224 to an arm 225 fixed to the lower end of avertically-extending rod 226 projecting upwardly above the plate 48 tocarry an elongated operating handle 227 fixed thereto. The lower end ofrod 226 is pivotally journalled in a bracket 228, xed by bolts 229 tothe inside face of frame channel member 3S. When the handle 227 isturned clockwisely from the broken-line representation thereof, as seenin FIG. 18, the stabilizing leg 214 will be swung outwardly to theposition shown in FIG. 2, with the ball 215 in engagement with the door.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control panel 27 includes four operatinglevers, levers 230, 231, 232 and 233 all f which have an off position, astraight up position, and two operating positions. Each leverautomatically returns to oif when it is released. The lever 230 operatesthe transport drive motor 22 in a forward and reverse direction, thelever 231 operates the motor 85 to raise or lower the U-shaped carriage33. The lever 232 operates the motor 119 to drive the bearing assemblies132 in and out, and the lever 233 operates the motor 147 to drive theextendable arms 149 in our out. Since the energizing circuitry includingthe operating levers, batteries and electric motors comprising thehospital cart are well known in themselves, and form no part of thisinvention, it is not deemed necessary that it be further describedherein. It will be understood that the stretcher webbing member 142 isof such size and of such character that a plurality of them can be usedroutinely throughout a hospital in making up beds to be occupied byincapacitated regular or emergency patients, thereby achieving maximumuse of the cart service. In such use, the stretcher webbing 176 will beplaced beneath the sheet on the bed before it is occupied by a patient,and when it is desired to move a patient from the bed, the cart will bedriven up beside the bed with the frame 33 and carriage 34 in an upwardand inward position. The switch levers 232 and 233 will then besequentially operated (or they may be simultaneously operated) to movethe carriage 34 outwardly by driving the bearing assemblies 132outwardly along -arms 105, and the square tubular arms 149, 149outwardly along the intermediate round tubes 159 to extend the stretcherframe carried thereby, in the manner previously described, over the bed.The carriage will then be lowered until the stretcher frame 171surrounds the patient, after which the webbing 176 can be hooked inplace on the stretcher frame, as described above, and the carriageraised vand retracted. The cart can then be driven to any desiredlocation in the hospital, being small enough to fit into ordinarypassenger elevators, for deposit of the patient on an operating table,another bed or the like, by reversing the above-described procedure.

It will further be understood that the above-described webbing andstretcher frame assemblies used in combination with the cart are welladapted to use separately as stretchers or litters for deliveringaccident victims and other incapacitated persons to a hospital.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form in which myinvention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to beunderstood that this form is presented by way of example only and not ina limiting sense.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hospital stretcher cart comprising, in combination, a rectangularcarriage assembly, wheel means for rolling said carriage assembly alongthe floor, a generally rectangular, U-shaped frame member disposed inspaced, -parallel relation above said U-shaped frame member, saidU-shaped frame member comprising a irst longitudinal member and a firstpair of arm members extending outwardly of said longitudinal member fromeach end thereof, means lfor moving said 'U-shaped frame membervertically between upper and lower limit positions with respect to saidcarriage assembly, a stretcher carriage assembly arranged verticallyabove said U-shaped frame member, said stretcher carriage assemblycomprising a second longitudinal member and a second pair of arm membersextending outwardly of said second longitudinal member from each endthereof, said second pair of arm members being arranged in spaced,parallel relation above said first pair of arm members and extending inthe opposite direction with respect thereto, mechanism slidablysupporting said stretcher carriage assembly with respect to saidU-shaped member for transverse motion thereof between a positiondirectly above said U-shaped frame member and a position to one side ofsaid U-shaped frame member and said carriage assembly, a rigid, unitaryrectangular streacher frame, a flexible webbing member, means forremovably attaching said webbing member within said stretcher frame `forperipheral support thereof, and means -for releasably attaching saidstretcher frame between said second pair of arm members of saidstretcher carriage assembly.

2. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 1 wherein said meansfor moving said U-shaped frame member with respect to said carriageassembly comprises a pair of vertically-extensible telescopic legs, eachleg comprising outer and inner tubular members, one each of said tubu-vlar members being secured at one end to said carriage assembly and theother end of each of said tubular members being secured to opposite endportions of said U- shaped frame member.

3. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 1 'wherein said meansfor removably attaching said webbing member within said stretcher framecomprises a plurality of interconnectable hook mechanisms spaced alongeach side of said stretcher frame and said webbing member, the hookmembers along one side of said stretcher frame including togglemechanism operative to stretch said webbing member between the sides ofsaid stretcher frame.

4. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 1 wherein saidreleasable attaching means comprises a pair of tubular memberstelescopingly arranged over one each of said second pair of arm membersand movable axially with respect thereto between inner and outer limitpositions.

5. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 4 wherein saidreleasable attaching means further comprises a first pair of stretcherhook members fixed to one each of said tubular members at the inner endsthereof, and a second pair of hook members pivotally affixed to one eachof said tubular members at the outer ends thereof, said first and secondpairs of hook members being operable to fit into first and second pairsof apertures in inner and outer side portions, respectively, of saidstretcher frame.

6. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 5 includingmanually-controlled crank means for pivotally moving said second pair ofhook members into and out of interhooking engagement, selectively, withassociated ones ofsaid stretcher frame apertures.

7. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 4 including a firstelectric drive means for said wheel means, a second electric drive meansfor said vertically-movable U-shaped frame member, third electric drivemeans for said stretcher carriage supporting mechanism, and a fourthelectric drive means `for said axially-movable tubular members.

18. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 1 wherein saidstretcher carriage assembly slidable support mechanism comprises a pairof tubular bearing assemblies slidably arranged, one each, over saidfirst pairs of arm members, a pair of vertical arms extending upwardlyof one each of said tubular bearing assemblies, the upper ends of saidvertically-extending arms being attached to one end each of the innerends of said second longitudinal member.

9. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 8 wherein said firstpair of arm members are of inverted U-shape and substantiallyrectangular in cross-section, and wherein said tubular bearingassemblies each comprises a square tubular member circumjacent one eachof said first pair of arm members, and first and second groups of needlebearings transversely arranged with respect to and adjacent upper andlower surface portions of said first pair of arm members and rotatablydisposed in transverse bores within upper and lower inner wall portionsof said square tubular member.

10.'A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 9 and furtherincluding pairs of inner and outer needle bearings rotatably disposed ininner and outer verticallyextending bores in opposite side wall portionsof each of said square tubular members.

11. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 5 wherein saidstretcher carriage assembly slidable support mechanism comprises a pairof tubular bearing assemblies slidably arranged, one each, over saidfirst pairs of arm members, a pair of vertical arms extending upwardlyof one each of said tubular bearing assemblies, the upper ends of saidvertically-extending arms being attached to one end each of the innerends of said second longitudinal member.

12. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 11 wherein said firstpair of arm members are of inverted U-shape and substantiallyrectangular in cross-section, and wherein said tubular bearingassemblies each comprises a square tubular member circumjacent one eachof said first pair of arm members, and first and second groups of needlebearings transversely arranged with respect to and adjacent upper andlower surface portions of said first pair of arm members and rotatablydisposed in transverse bores within upper and lower inner wall portionsof said square tubular member.

13. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 12 and furtherincluding pairs of inner and outer needle bearings rotatably disposed ininner and outer verticallyextending bores in opposite side wall portionsof each of said square tubular members.

14. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 13 including a firstelectric drive means for said wheel means, a second electric drive meansfor said Ivertically-movable U-shaped frame member, a third electricdrive means for said stretcher carriage supporting mechanism, and afourth electric drive means for said axially-movable tubular members.

15. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim I14 includingelectrical energizing means comprising a plurality of storage batteries,said storage batteries being carried on said carriage assembly along theother side thereof for counterbalancing the rotational moment of saidcarriage assembly when in its sidewardly extended position.

l16. A hospital stretcher cart as defined in claim 15 including astabilizing leg pivotally secured to said carriage assembly and movablebetween inner and outer positions with respect thereto, said support legwhen in said outer position being adapted to contact the floor at aposition outwardly removed lfrom said one side of said carriageassembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,668,301 2/ 1954 Brouillette5-89` X 2,854,673 10/1958 Ramsey 5-86 3,045,256 7/1962 Seher 5-633,099,020 7/ 1963 Garfield et al 81 3,168,688 2/1965 Roggenkamp 180-65 X3,298,042 1/ 1967 Danielson 5-86 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 5-81; 180-65

